The United Federation of Teachers and Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella filed a lawsuit on Thursday seeking to halt the implementation of congestion pricing in Manhattan.

The suit argues that the current congestion pricing plan — which aims to reduce traffic in Manhattan’s Central Business District — “would not eliminate air and noise pollution and traffic, but would instead simply shift pollution and traffic to Staten Island, the Bronx, Upper Manhattan, and Northern New Jersey.”

It also accuses federal, state and city transportation authorities of carrying out a “rushed and hurried [approval] process that violated the comprehensive review requirements that a federal agency must take under federal law,” saying a review of the plan happened before the tolling structure was ever finalized.

“It is hard to imagine how the (Federal Highway Administration) could have conducted an accurate or comprehensive review of environmental impact, burden on other transportation systems, likely change in traffic patterns, necessary mitigation measures, or potential harm to outer-borough and out-of State residents, without knowing the actual “price” and structure of the Congestion Pricing program and its impact on driving behavior,” a line from the lawsuit reads.

At a news conference Thursday morning, UFT President Michael Mulgrew further criticized the plan’s environmental assessment.

“What we would say in my world is, ‘The kid only read the CliffsNotes,’ and they cut corners constantly and everywhere,” he said.

Mulgrew said many teachers are concerned about the tolling plan, given that they reside in areas with limited access to mass transit.

“This is simply a money grab, because they’re going to raise the money off the working and middle class of this city,” he said. “Those are the folks who are going to pay for this program, and we’re sick of this.”

Fossella echoed Mulgrew’s sentiment, calling the plan a “three-strike loser.”

“For Staten Island residents, it will increase traffic. It will make air quality worse and take tens of millions of dollars out of their pockets each year,” he said. “Why on earth would we support this?”

Fossella announced plans to file a lawsuit over the MTA’s congestion pricing plan in July. His announcement came days after New Jersey filed its own lawsuit attempting to put a stop to the plan.  

The MTA board in December approved a plan to impose a $15 base fare for cars entering Manhattan south of 60th Street. However, the toll will vary based on vehicle size and time of day.

Prices could also increase by 25% on Gridlock Alert days.

While the approved plan does include some discounts and exemptions, including a 50% discount for low-income drivers after the first 10 trips in one calendar month, the lawsuit argues low-income New York and New Jersey residents will still be making “large, daily out-of-pocket payments.”

“Teachers, firefighters, police officers, EMS workers, sanitation workers, and other public sector workers who are essential to the fabric of New York City would be forced to shoulder the burden of the MTA’s latest fundraising gambit; some are already considering changing jobs because of the proposed tolls,” the suit says.

NY1 has reached out to the MTA for comment on the lawsuit.